The next morning, Grady put Sasha in his truck and drove down to town. As they got closer to the town square, Sasha’s ears perked up and she leaned eagerly out the window, as if she thought he was taking her home.

“Sorry, girl, I can’t take you by the rescue center,” Grady said. “I’m not allowed on the premises.”

Sasha’s brows wrinkled with a worried look and her tail drooped. Somehow his dog reflected the dull ache in his chest at the cold way Linx had left them.

No fire.

Only ice.

As if the spark that always surged between them had gone out. She wanted nothing more from him—not even a fight.

“I know you want to go see your mommy, but now’s not a good time. Tell you what, let’s go visit Aunt Cait and Uncle Brian. They’ll love you to pieces.” Grady tried to sound upbeat.

His sister was still gung-ho about locating her wedding and memorabilia business in the middle of this nowhere town, and now that Brian was part of the fire department, she was even more eager to put down roots before their baby was born.

The bed and breakfast was an old, rambling house which had definitely seen better days. While the paint wasn’t exactly peeling off, the exterior had that worn, tired look and the white had faded to a dull gray—the evidence of soot fallout from nearby fires.

Cait opened the door with a big smile which quickly morphed to a furrowed brow as she spotted Sasha. “Why do you have Linx’s dog?”

Grady let Sasha step into the room first, then closed the door behind him. “Cait, Brian, meet Sasha, my dog.”

“Your dog?” Brian set his electronic tablet down and leaned forward, beckoning Sasha to greet him. “What’s the story here?”

“Remember when my cabin burned down way back?” Grady swiped a hand through his thick hair. “Apparently, Sasha got away from the fire and somehow, Linx Colson found her.”

“Wow, and all this time you thought she was dead?” Cait petted the dog. “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her.”

“She was only a puppy when I brought her home that one time,” Grady said. “But yes, she was here all along. Apparently, Linx held onto her and never told me.”

“Whoa, wait. Rewind.” Cait raised her hand. “Maybe she didn’t know it was your dog. She’s got so many dogs in the center.”

“Oh, she knew all right.” Grady couldn’t keep the anger from his voice. “Remember she made a big deal about how her dog hated me, so I couldn’t go to the center? All of it was a smokescreen to keep me away from my dog.”

“Why would she do that?” Brian asked. “She’s always trying to help people find their dogs. Works really hard at locating owners before letting a dog get adopted.”

“She’s got something personal against me.” Grady’s fists clenched and the rock in his chest pressed against his heart.

Dammit. Why was he so affected by her? Why couldn’t he write her off and let it go. He got his dog back, and there were plenty of other women who could rock his socks off—if that were all he wanted.

“I don’t get it.” Cait still wanted to defend her friend. “How did Linx know Cedar was Sasha? Did you post a lost dog notice?”

“She used to visit the cabin seven years ago when Sasha was there.” Grady stomped around the room, punching the air with his fists. “I had no idea she’d hate me so much that she’d steal my dog.”

“Wait a big fat minute.” Cait stabbed an index finger his direction. “You lied to us. You said you didn’t know Linx Colson. Pretended you were strangers. What did you do to her to make her hate you?”

“I dumped her.” Grady’s words blazed from his lips. “Dumped her when she wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Wow. Just wow.” Cait backed to the sofa and collapsed as if losing all her muscle tone. “Are you saying she’s a crazy stalker-type? You dump her and she takes your dog?”

“I’m starting to believe so.” Grady crossed his arms, his face as stiff as a mask.

“She’s the reason you’re done with women?”

“Yes, done. Finished. No more.”

“Then why are you still flirting with her? Verbal sparring? Checking each other out and pretending you’re interested in hooking up?”

Grady’s heart dropped like a heavy stone into a deep well. His cover had been blown. Cait would leave no leaf unturned until she figured out exactly what was going on between him and Linx.

The cogs seemed to be turning in Cait’s mind as she counted her fingers and moved her lips. When she looked up at Grady, her face was pale. “Seven years ago, you were an instructor for the Forest Service. Linx was a rookie. She told me she’d jumped one season. But after that, she quit.”

“Did she tell you why she quit?”

“Said she lost interest and decided to work with dogs.” Cait shrugged. “I take it there was something else?”

“Maybe.”

“You slept with her, didn’t you?” Cait nailed him with her sharp green eyes. “You were an instructor, and you weren’t supposed to fraternize with the rookies. She could have had you fired.”

“Well, I wasn’t fired. She quit instead.”

“Do you think she was pregnant?” Cait’s mind worked at warp speed.

“She doesn’t have any children. I, uh, don’t think that’s her problem.”

Cait’s face twisted as if she were checking off clues at a mystery dinner. “She quit firefighting abruptly. She pretends she didn’t know you when we met. Her family wants to run you out of town, or at least her big, overprotective older brother does. She kept your dog.”

“Yeah, she kept my dog, but what does that have to do with whether she was pregnant or not?” A flutter in his heart jittered down to his gut, but he wasn’t worried. She’d assured him there was no kid. It had been a false alarm, or a blatant ploy to force him to marry her.

“She might have kept your dog to have a piece of you close to her.” Cait blinked, her eyes now watery. “Or maybe she wanted revenge, or at least your attention. I’m not blind. I sense a lot of angst and tension between you two.”

“Yeah, well, it’s all one-sided. I’m the innocent victim here.” Grady patted his thigh at Sasha, beckoning her to come with him. “I’ve got to be going. Just thought I’d let you meet Sasha and let you know what a snake Linx Colson is. Are you sure you two want to settle here? Her family owns the entire town.”

“It’s a charming town, full of potential,” Cait said. “Millions of people drive by on Interstate 80 on their way to Tahoe and Reno for their quickie weddings without realizing if they took a little more time, they’d have something more unique.”

“I wish you lots of luck then, but I have a feeling the Colsons like this place quiet and backward the way it is.” Grady headed for the door. “I’m wondering if someone in her family set fire to Mom and Dad’s place as a warning.”

“You mean they want us to stay away?” Brian asked, setting down his tablet. “Is that what you’re implying?”

Grady shrugged. “I heard around town that people are calling you two carpetbaggers. Seems Tami has a big mouth about how much money you have to invest in this town.”

“But, Grady, your cabin burned down, too.” Cait idly rubbed Sasha’s mane. “What if they’re trying to run you out of town? You’re the one who has the entire Colson family up in arms—about their sister, Linx.”

“Let’s talk about that fire way back,” Brian said. “Did they ever figure out who started it? Seems to me Linx is suspect number one.”

“Linx wouldn’t do something like that,” Grady said, his hackles rising. “She wouldn’t have endangered Sasha.”

“She could have saved Sasha before lighting up the place,” Brian said. “Fatal attraction meets dog lover. Just saying.”

“But Linx fought fires,” Cait said. “She told me once it was her first love, before taking care of dogs.”

“Someone’s burning down houses around here.” Brian picked up the tablet he was reading and woke it. “Did you see the news? Up north?”

“No, I’ve been working on my cabin,” Grady said. “More fires?”

“Yep, near Redstone Base Camp.”

“Redstone.” Grady grabbed the tablet and scanned the article. Redstone was one of the smokejumping camps he worked out of. It was a few hours north of Colson’s Corner.

“Right. In the last month, a bunch of men have had their houses burn down, even the fire chief’s.”

“You mean, Chief Montgomery?” Grady read the article. “Did they catch who’s doing it?”

“Not yet,” Brian said. “Guys go out on a jump and they’re busy fighting a forest fire, then come home to an ash heap.”

“Sounds like someone has something against firefighters.” Grady blew out a breath. “Or maybe it’s coincidental?”

“I heard people mention a curse.” Cait jumped in, her inquisitive eyes sharp. “The lady selling the Victorian we’re interested in says a woman died on a jump up there and they never found her body.”

“Bunch of baloney,” Brian said, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, I’m wondering if the arson at Mom and Dad’s cabin has something to do with what’s going on up at Redstone. If someone’s targeting firefighters, then our family is one big bull’s eye.”

“You think they blame us for not stopping the fire earlier?”

Brian crossed his arms and stared at him, nodding. “Maybe. Lots of people lost their homes.”

“Some people aren’t rational.” Cait put her hand over her belly, as if comforting her baby. “You never know what goes through people’s minds when they’re under stress.”

“That fire was wicked.” Grady sighed, putting his hands in his pockets. “Torched up out of nowhere and had wings.”

“Maybe their insurance claim got denied, or maybe it’s a coincidence, which I don’t believe.” Brian picked up his note pad. “Tim Olson’s trailer goes up in flames. Maybe he’d left a burner on, maybe he didn’t. Then Duane Washington’s place goes kaboom. He claims he had a leaking propane tank. Then it’s the chief’s house. Luckily his wife was out of town, or maybe the perp was considerate and didn’t want to hurt her.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Grady squirmed underneath Brian’s focused glare. “I haven’t been up that way since last season.”

“Yeah, well, thought you ought to know,” Brian said. “Right now, we have no leads. Todd’s been questioning the transients at the campground, and of course, no one saw anything.”

“You know? I have a thought.” Cait snapped her fingers. “Whoever burned down Mom and Dad’s place must have been watching us. They saw us go out for a walk and then started the fire. It means they didn’t want to kill anyone. Same way they didn’t want Sasha to die.”

“A compassionate arsonist,” Brian huffed, hooking a raised eyebrow at Grady. “How considerate.”

“Linx has an alibi.” The words jumped from Grady’s throat. “She was with her family.”

“Yeah, her family.” Brian scratched his beard and nodded. “The same ones who want to run you out of town.”

Cold sweat prickled Grady’s brow and he shook his head like a terrier shaking a rat. "No way did Linx have anything to do with this. Linx hates fire. She calls it the red dragon and she fights it with everything she has. No one works the fire line harder than Linx Colson. She’s brave and tough, and she’ll fight to her last breath.”

“She’s fascinating,” Cait sighed loudly. “And you’re totally and completely in love with her.”

* * *

The cabin felt empty without Cedar, but Linx didn’t have time to mope. Gold Rush Week was coming up and she needed to spruce up the center and get ready for the adoption auction in the town square.

They wouldn’t have live dogs up for auction, especially at a Fourth of July event with all of the noise and children popping firecrackers. Instead, the dogs would be safe in the barn inside their kennels. Instead, the auctioneer would hold up a picture of the dog, and people could look them over on their cell phones before placing a bid.

Potential adopters would need to come to the center to get pre-qualified and oriented, as well as have an opportunity to visit the dogs they were interested in.

Which was why Linx stood on the porch with her brows furrowed and hands on her hips staring at her mother’s deadly creation.

A skull with a railroad spike through the eye socket and a hand with a wire heart in its palm was not exactly the kind of artwork for dog lovers.

“What are you going to do with that?” Tami asked while watering the potted plants.

“Move it to my dad’s ranch,” Linx said. “I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but this thing’s going to scare people away.”

“Jessie doesn’t seem scared,” Tami said as Mrs. Patterson and Jessie sauntered up the walkway.

“Miss Linx! Is that for Halloween?” Jessie pointed to the rusted skull.

Mrs. Patterson’s eyes widened and she fanned herself. “That’s certainly unique. Is there a message?”

“Linx’s mother is an artist,” Tami explained. “She’s very creative.”

“I’ll say. Jessie, don’t climb on it.” Jean guided Jessie away from what she no doubt thought of as Satanic influences. “Bye, Jessie, and listen to Miss Linx.”

“I will.” Jessie waved to her mother. “I want to play with the puppy.”

“Great, because I need you to help me feed Ginger,” Linx said. “Her eyes are open and she’s pulling herself around.”

“She’s so cute.” Jessie squealed at the side of the playpen. “I want a baby sister just like her. Look, she’s crawling.”

Linx picked the puppy up out of the playpen and handed her to Jessie. “Go sit on the sofa and I’ll bring a bottle.”

The little girl carefully walked with the puppy to the sofa, stepping over Cedar’s doggy bed. She climbed on and then looked around, blinking. “Where’s Cedar? Doesn’t she want to help feed Ginger?”

“Cedar went home to be with her daddy,” Linx said. She filled a bottle with warm puppy formula.

“Who’s Cedar’s daddy?” Jessie asked.

“He lost her a long time ago, and I kept Cedar safe. Now he’s back, and she has to be with him.” Linx shook the bottle and handed it to Jessie.

The little puppy squirmed and wiggled, nosing the bottle before latching onto the nipple.

Jessie giggled. “She’s so hungry.”

“Yes, she is.” Linx sat next to Jessie and stroked the puppy’s soft downy fur. Even the puppy missed Cedar, nosing around and sniffing for her.

Yes, Linx’s heart was broken, but she had to carry on. There were so many dogs needing love, and once the dust settled after the adoption event, she’d adopt one of the guests who was left behind.

In the meantime, she had to hang up banners and put up educational materials for the visitors coming for Gold Rush week, maybe even set up an activity.

“Do you think Betsy went to live with someone else?” Jessie’s expression turned serious.

“I think Betsy’s out there waiting for us to find her,” Linx said. “Want to go on a walk with me and look for her?”

“Okay. I wish we could find her right now. Can you wear your Wonder Woman cape?”

Linx was glad she only asked for the cape and not the costume. But then again, this was California, and the town’s residents loved dressing up in costumes.

Footsteps sounded on the wooden porch and the screen door opened.

“Yoohoo, can I come in?” Cait Wonder peeked through the door. She stood at the threshold with a plate of steaming hot muffins.

“Sure, come on in.” Linx opened the door.

Cait greeted Linx with a half-hug, then turned to Jessie. “Hello, are you Linx’s little helper today?”

“I sure am. I’m Jessie Patterson.”

“Nice to meet you.” Cait glanced from Jessie to Linx and back. “I bet you’re a big girl now. How old are you?”

“I’m five and a half.” She took the bottle out of Ginger’s mouth and put up five fingers.

Cait gave her a high five.

“Hi, Cait.” Tami waved from the desk. “You brought us gifts?”

“I sure did.” Cait waddled over to her. “Fresh from the oven. Mrs. Burris lets us use her kitchen. Isn’t that sweet of her? Maybe instead of a wedding business, I should set up a bakery, or I can do both.”

“Good idea,” Tami exclaimed, taking a muffin. “By the way, are you up for a few showings today? There’s a lovely Victorian that’s come on the market.”

Linx heaved a sigh of relief, thankful that Tami had distracted Cait from interrogating little Jessie.

Now that she and Grady were sworn enemies, a visit from Cait was like harboring a spy in their midst. What was Cait snooping around for?

Then again, there was no reason to keep the two retrievers from Grady. He was free to come and pick them up—from Tami.

Linx sent him a text message. The adoption for Molly and Rex is approved. Tami will process the final paperwork.

She might as well get used to having Grady in town. He was rebuilding his cabin. He got his dog back, and it was only a matter of time before he found himself a woman. He’d marry and have a family, and she would have to watch from the sidelines.

She would never make anyone a good wife, nor would she be a good mother.

She was too much like Minx, but unlike her mother, she wouldn’t make the mistake of starting a family only to abandon them.

She was better than that.